Pipe joint



July 26, 1949. w A WHT|NG I 2,477,533

i PIPE JOINT Filed Oct. 19, 1946 Patented July 26, 1949 omiso STATES rMen-*r` oFFlcE .2,477,533

PIPE JOINT William Af Whitinggllong Beach, Calif.

ppiiifl O'tlbl' 19, 1946, Seriali" N0, 704,433

2. Claims.

The present'invention relates topipe joints, and especiallyto joints of the type embodying a gasket for the `purpose o'f preventing leakage between the mating joint msnm-ers.

As a practical matter, it isV d-iiliculi'.l to have' the mating hell and spigot ends of pipe of such true diameter and `rOundneSs as to insure a' tight seal in conjunction with anintervening gasket, particul'arly vin pipes of large diameter. The obtain'- ingmo'f truly' round and proper diameter pipe ends is 1an expensive and uncertain operation, the fac` tor' :of uncertainty being increased in the `production of cast' concrete pipe. dimensioned pipe joint members may still `result in an insecurese'al' when members are placed in .cooperative relation 4but inadvertently mis`- aligned with respect to one another.

In prior devices, the gasket of a pipe joint is subject to a rolling action as' a result of assembling the joint, introducing the adverse factors of cutting, shearing and pinching of the gasket', which may also result from k*the action of high pressure fluids flowing `through the pipe; 'Leak` age isan immediate or ultimate effect of such adverse factors. Moreover, prior joint combinations have' such' characteristics as to permit in' edvertent removal of the gasket fromits carrying `meriib'er .during assembly of the joint.

`riccordingly., itis an obj ect of the present invention to provide a gasket joint which compensates for the ordinary variations in roundness and diarneters of the mating' `end-s of pipe', particularly of' largedia'nieter concrete and steel pipe;

.Another object of the invention is to provide a gaset joint which compensates automatically formisailignment of the mating pipe sections.

A further object of the invention is tti-provideV a sasl-set joint which resists the folli-ng tendency of the kgasket and precludes itsv consequent' cuttin-g, shearing `and pinching.

Yet another object oi the invention is to provide a gasket joint in which the gasket is prevented from being `inadvertently' removed during assembly `of the joint.

Several `forms which the invention may assume Vexemplirled in' the following description and illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal' section through one form of `pipe joint'.

reg, 'zk isv a longitudinai section tf1-rough the spigot or' male' Vend of the pipe joint ,illustrated Fig. lfremoved from assembledposition with -re-` spect to its" mating" bell or female `mein-ber.

The use of properly snugly engaging the :base

and 2;. the spigot or maleend I0 of one `pipe" Nation .is inserted into the enlarged bell or' female end ij oi an adjoining pipe section, with a gasket i2 mounted on the spigot for cooperahle sealing engagement with'` the interior of the bel-i'. The spigot Iii has a' peripheral groote ifi defined between a pair of annular i5 extending outwardly from projection E6 may also bep'rovide'd between the other extendin'gxannuli, but this projection or' rib iii may `be eliminated", if desired, although its use is advantageous.

The sealing member or gasket 1I2' 4of rubber or rubberllike material is" received within the groove i3 of the spigot. Thevr base of the ring has spaced inwardly extending' portions' H fittingv snugly against the base I8 of thegroove and adapted to' engage the' shoulders" I9, 20,- v2'1- onAv the end and `intermediate projections M', |55', I6 upon assembly of the spigot in the bell'. lThe gasket may have a preformed central annular channel 2'2 into which the intermediate pro'-V .iection le nts. It is preferred that tlie internal 'diam-eter of the gasket be slightly' less than the diameter of the base i8 of the groove, order that the gasket may' be stretched over the `end and intermediate projections M, i6 on thes'pig'ot for the vpurpose of ir-iherentl'y` contracting and I8 and shoulders i9', `22H, 2|.

The gasket has outer `tapered peripheral faces i3 converging from its ends inan outward direc-t tion toward `its central plane; Such tapered faces intersect or merge on a circle having' a greater diameter than the outside` diameter of the rearward projection I5', with the end face 24 of the gasket projecting substantially above the forward projection lfd vonf the spigot.

The spigot t0' and gasket |'2 rnounted thereon are' adapted to at witninard seal on against `the bell or' female portion il of the adjacent pipel section. This bell has an entering tapered guiding face 2'5- diverging `toward its -free end, and n1-erging into :a generally cylindrical sin*- outside diameter loli the spigot,`

face 26 of larger internal diameter than the outside diameter of the rearward projection I5. The inner end of the cylindrical surface merges into a tapered or frusto-conoidal wedge face 21 converging inwardly toward the axis of the pipe, and providing a sealing surface for the gasket I2. The small diameter end of this tapered sealing surface 21 terminates in an internal shoulder 28 formed in the bell, whose internal diameter is greater than the outside diameter of the forward spigot projection I4 and shoulder I9.

In assembling the joint, the spigot I with the gasket I2 mounted in its groove I3 is moved into the bell portion II of the adjoining pipe section. The tapered surface 25 on the end of the bell guides the spigot into approximate coaxial :relation with respect to the bell and also compresses the gask-et I2 inwardly to a slight extent. From the tapered guide surface, the gasket moves along the cylindrical guide surface 26 and then is wedged against the tapered sealing surface 21 with the forward face 24 of the gasket abutting the internal shoulder 28 on the bell, which precludes further inward movement of the gasket. When in this position, the sealing surface 21 is opposite the spigot groove I3.

In view of the fact that the inward movement of the spigot I0 compresses the gasket I2 along and against the tapered wedge face 21 of the bell, which is inclined at aV comparatively flat acute angle, a tight seal is formed between the gasket I2 andbell Il; The wedging force is predominantly inward, compressing the gasket to hold its base I1 firmly against the base of the ring groove I8 and the central rib I6, its rear face snugly against the rearward spigot shoulder 20 and its forward face against the shoulder I9.

AThe annular clearance space 29 between the periphery of the rear projection I and the cylindrical surface 26 of the bell is sufficient to permit some lateral movement of the spigot with respect tozthe bell, but is not sufficiently great to allow substantial flowing or displacement of the gasket material thereinto, which might result in pinching off of the outer portion of the gasket and its inability to function as sealing material. The rearprojection I5 has a diameter only slightly less than the larger diameter of the tapered wedge sealing face 21 of the bell, which provides a dlirect transmission of end or axial thrust from the spigot shoulder 20 to the tapered face 21, which, as aforestated, results in the urging of the gasket inwardly, to press it more firmly within the spigot groove `I 3, with its ends firmly abutting the shoulders I9, 26, 2I formed by the longitudinally spaced projections I 4, I5, I6.

The forward projection I4, as Well as the rib I6, preclude inadvertent removal of the gasket I2 during assembly of the spigot I0 and gasket within the bell II. Any variation or lateral movement of the spigot with respect to the bell cannot effect a'sliding off of the 4gasket from the spigot as the joint is being assembled since the gasket is conned between the shoulders I9, 20, 2l.

The compressive force between the tapered sealing face 21 of the bell and gasket I2 is predominantly inward, because of the acute angle at variations in roundness and diameter of the bell and spigot ends of the pipe. The predominantly lateral transmission of the sealing force between the tapered Wedge face 21 and the gasket I2 can deform the gasket radially to ll the full distance between the base I8 of the spigot groove I3 and the tapered face on the bell.

The provision of a gasket assembly, in which the gasket has a wide base and in which the sealing action takes place against an acute angle wedge face 21, which is relatively fiat, permits the use of bells having a smaller diameter than would otherwise be necessary. The wide base of the gasket also contributes to its stability during assembly and to the lack of rolling tendency referred to above.

In the embodiment of invention disclosed in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, the same general shape of bell II is used and also the same general shape of spigot projections I5, I6a, groove I3 and shoulders 20, 2 la. However, the forward projection lli maybe omitted and the gasket I2a has a different form,

being in the nature of an annulus or sleeve fitting snugly within the groove I3, whose intermediate projection lBa presses into the originally uniform inner surface 30 of the gasket to form its own annular channel 22a therein. The gasket channel need not necessarily be preformed, asin the other embodiment of the invention. The gasket has a substantially cylindrical outer surface 3l which terminates in a peripheral lip 32 extending toward the forward portion of the spigot, to define an end gasket groove 33 with the base I'Iaof the gasket.

When placed in assembled position within the bell, the gasket I 2a is compressed inwardly in the same manner as in the other embodiment, with the wedging force between the'bell` II and gasket beingpredominantly inward in a radial direction, and with very little of Asuch force being directed longitudinally or axially, so as to tend to shear, pinch or cut the gasket against the rear abutting projection I5 or shoulder 26. The lip seal 32 engages the tapered wedge face 21 and is subject to the action of the pressure of the fluid flowing through the pipe, which acts on the lip and urges it outwardly into firm sealing engagement with the sealing face 21 ofthe bell, precluding leakage between the bell and gasket. At the same time, the fluid pressure is acting downwardly on the end I1a of the gasket adjacent the forward portion of the spigot to urge it more rmly against the base I8 of the groove. In this manner,V inaccuracies in manufacture, resulting in lackof roundness and variations in diameter of the bell and spigot ends of the pipe, are compensated for. y

The embodiment of invention disclosed in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 functions essentially the same as the first-mentioned embodiment and has essentially the same attributes.

While I have shown lpreferred forms changes may be made in their construction by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention,` what `I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A pipe joint, including cooperable male vand female pipe members, said male member having longitudinally spaced .forward and rearward shoulders defining a circumferential groove having a basebetweensaid shoulders, said rearward.. shoulder projecting outwardly a greater distance of my invention, it is to be understood that various than said forward shoulder, a rib projecting outwardly from said base between said shoulders, said female member having :an internal tapered surface opposite said groove converging in a direction toward said forward shoulder :and terminating in an internal shoulder at the smaller diameter end of said tapered surface, and a sealing member in said groove disposed over said rib and engaging said tapered surface, said sealing member being compressed Ibetween said surface, rearward shoulder and rib.

2. A pipe joint, including cooperable male and female pipe members, said male member having longitudinally spaced forward and rearward shoulders defining a circumferential groove having -a base between said shoulders, said rearward shoulder projecting outwardly a greater distance than said forward shoulder, said female member having an internal tapered surface opposite said groove converging in a direction toward said forward shoulder, a sealing member in said groove engaging said tapered surface, said sealing member being compressed between said surface, rearward shoulder and base of said groove.

WILLIAM A. WRITING.

REFERENCES CITED The following referenlces are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,229,587 Parker Jan. 21, 1941 2,272,811 Nathan Feb. 10, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 377,897 Italy Sept. 15, 1938 

